A compressed gas cylinder hanger provides resiliently flexible engagement with the neck of a compressed gas cylinder.
Compressed and liquefied gases are routinely used in manufacturing, research and various other operations. A numerous and wide variety of compressed and liquefied gases such as helium, nitrogen, air, argon, carbon dioxide, acetylene, and the like can be obtained in compressed gas cylinders configured as shown by FIG. 1. Compressed gas cylinders can for example comprise a compressed gas cylinder (1) having an outside diameter of about nine inches in and a standing height of about 51″ to the bottom of a cylinder neck (2)(although larger and smaller cylinders can be obtained). The top of the compressed gas cylinder (1) terminates in cylinder neck (2) having an outside diameter of about two to about three inches and a height of about one inch to two inches. A gas cylinder valve (3) coupled to the cylinder neck (2) operates to regulate the flow of compressed gas (not shown) contained inside of the compressed gas cylinder (1). A cylinder cap (4) removably engages the cylinder neck (2)(typically by mated spiral threads) to provide a protective enclosure for the cylinder valve (3). The gas cylinder valve (3) is typically configured to couple with a gas regulator (5) which further adjusts gas flow from the interior of the compressed gas cylinder (1). A variety of gas conduits (6) whether flexible (as shown by the example of FIG. 1) or inflexible can be coupled to the gas regulator (5) in which a gas flow can be generated from the interior of the metal cylinder (1) to various instruments or tools (7), such as the welding torch shown in FIG. 1.
Even though there is large commercial market which utilizes compressed gas contained in compressed gas cylinders (1) a common problem for users of compressed gases contained in compressed gas cylinders (1) can be storage of the cylinder cap (4) once disengaged from the cylinder neck (2). Typically, the loose cylinder cap(s) (4) are placed on the floor next to the compressed gas cylinder. However, the loose cylinder caps (4) present a danger to persons working about the compressed gas cylinders (1) because the loose cylinder caps (4) are not typically secured at a location on the floor out of the walk path. As such, the loose cylinder caps (4) even when set outside of the walk path can be urged into the walk path by contact, or can roll from location to location on the floor into the walk path, which in either event can pose a hazard to persons who may trip over the loose cylinder caps (4). Additionally, loose gas cylinder caps (4) are prone to loss and can be expensive to replace.
Another significant problem related to the use of compressed gas cylinders (1) can be the lack of storage means for flexible conduit (6) coupled to the gas regulator (5), or other tools or materials used in association with the compressed gas. As shown by FIG. 1, flexible conduit connected to the gas regulator (5) can be many feet long to provide gas flow to the attached tool (7). Typically, the flexible conduit (6) remains coupled to the gas regulator (5) even when the tool (7) is not being used with the flexible conduit (6) and may be coiled or otherwise configured for storage next to the compressed gas cylinder (1). However, the flexible conduit (6)(or other materials or tools) may not be secured in storage and can remain in the walk path or urged into walk path by contact, which in either event can pose a hazard to persons who may trip over the flexible conduit (6)(or other materials or tools).
One attempt to address the problem of unsecured cylinder caps (4) has been described by U.S. Pat. No.: Des. 332,291 which shows the ornamental design of an industrial gas cylinder cap hanger having a ring member which can be located about the cylinder neck (4) of a compressed gas cylinder (1) from which a single member extends. However, this approach presents certain additional unresolved problems. First, the ring member once placed about the cylinder neck (4) can freely rotate about the longitudinal axis of compressed gas cylinder which fails to fix the location of the member or resist re-location of the member about the compressed gas cylinder. Second, the member has the narrow utility of engaging the interior surface of the cylinder cap (4). However, the hanger member described may not be suitable to engage the coils of flexible conduit (6)(or other tools or materials) because the surface area presented by the hanger member used to engage the cylinder cap (4) may damage a flexible conduit (6) because the weight of the flexible conduit (6) may not be disseminated over a sufficient exterior surface area to prevent the flexible conduit (6) from being deformed in a manner which effects gas flow within the conduit during subsequent use or damages the wall material of the flexible conduit (6) (such as by establishing a kink in the flexible conduit which both reduces cross sectional area of the conduit and damages the flexible conduit wall).
The present invention provides a practical solution to the above-mentioned problems.